NHTSA Complaint #719622 — 1995 FORD MUSTANG

THE HEATER IN MY 1995 FORD MUSTANG WOULD NOT PRODUCE WARM AIR AND THEN THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR WAS LOOKED AT BY A MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT. HOWEVER, HEAT WAS STILL NOT PRODUCED AND THE ODOR OF ANTIFREEZE BECAME APPARENT. MY MECHANIC AT OCEAN STREE AUTO REPAIR IN SOUTH PORTALND, ME, CALLED YANKEE FORD DEALER IN SOUTH PORTLAND, ME AND WAS TOLD THE HEAD GASKET ON THIS 3.8L V6 ENGINE WAS DEFECTIVE AND RECALLED. I WAS INFORMED BY MY MECHANICE AT OCEAN ST AUTO AS WELL AS THE SERVICE MANAGER AT YANKEE FORD THIS PART WOULD BE REPLACED AT NO COST TO ME UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. WITHIN A HALF HOUR I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE SERVICE MANAGER AT YANKEE FORD INFORMING ME THE RECALL ONLY APPLIED TO THE TAURUS AND WINDSTAR. ALTHOUGH HE SAID IT WAS THE SAME ENGINE AND COULD NOT SEE WHY THE RECALL WOULD NOT APPLY TO THE MUSTANG, HE COULD NOT FIX IT UNDER THE FORD ISSUED RECALL. I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER SERVICE ON MARCH 2 AND SPOKE WITH "SELVIN" WHO TOLD ME FORD WAS WELL AWARE OF THIS DEFECTIVE PART AND THEY HE "EXPECTED" THIS TO BE RECALLED ON THE MUSTANG AND THUNDERBIRD AT SOME TIME, BUT FOR NOW IT WAS FORD'S POLICY NOT TO RECALL THE HEAD GASKET ON THIS MODEL AT THIS TIME. SELVIN INFORMED ME I HAD NO RECOURSE OF ACTION AND THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE AT FORD MOTOR COMPANY I COULD APPEAL TO. I PRESSED SELVIN TO GIVE ME THE NAME OF MANAGER I COULD TALK WITH AND HE REFUSED, AGAIN STATING THIS IT WAS "FORD'S POSITION NOT FIX THIS PART AS PART OF THE RECALL EVEN THOUGH THEY KNEW IT WAS DEFECTIVE. ASIDE FROM THE CAR ISSUE, I AM A SINGLE PARENT WITH ONLY THAT CAR FOR TRANSPORTATION. I AM NOW FORCED TO RENT A CAR FOR AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF TIME WHILE WAITING FOR MY FORD MUSTANG TO BE FIXED. *AK